Wringer



May 7, 1940.

E. H. BARD I 2.199.906

WRINGER Filed July 12, 1937 INVENTOR .Z'Zryar f7; Ezra? M I A TTOR NE Vs.

Patented May 7, 1940 UNITED? STATES PATENT OFFICE WRIN GER H H Elmer H. Bard, Muskegon, Mich., assignor to Geerpres Wringer, Inc., Muskegon, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application July 12, 1937, Serial No. 153,089

1 Claim.

Myinvention relates to operating means for a mop wringer and particularly to the combination of ,a mop wringer and actuating means therefor embodying a rack and pinion having rows of offset teeth.

While it is old in the art to provide gears with rows of offset teeth for the purpose of permitting the gear elements to separate a predetermined amount while remaining in mesh, the present invention utilizes such rows of offset teeth in a rack and sector combination employed as actuating means for a mop wringer. The gear sector and rack need no guiding means since the oifset teeth retain the sector and rack in interlocked alignment while providing greater strength and quiet and smooth operation.

The mop wringer in general embodies side elements and a container portion joined thereto to 'form a receptacle in which the mop may be disposed. A pair of pressing plates are supported for vertical movement by arms on racks disposed at the outer sides of the side plates. A shaft extends through the side plates having a gear sector on each end in engagement with the teeth of the rack. A handle is secured to the shaft intermediate the plates by which the operation of the gears and racks are produced to move the pressing plates downwardly upon the mop. The water in the mop cloth is pressed out through openings in the container portion. The rack teeth are retained in mesh with the teeth of the sectors by backing blocks and no other guiding means is required for the racks since the offset teeth retain the racks and sectors in exact aligned relation. The mop wringer as a whole is provided with brackets on which the wringer may be suspended in a pail for operation.

Accordingly, the main objects of my invention are: to provide a mop wringer with a rack and sector on each of its sides for operating the pressing means having teeth which retain the rack and sectorv in mesh; to form a rack and sector for a mop wringer with rows of teeth in ofiset relation to each other for retaining the rack and sector in alignment; to provide a rack and sector in construction, economical of manufacture and positive in operation.

. Other objects and features of novelty of my invention will be specifically pointed out or will become apparent when referring, for a better understanding of my invention, to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a broken perspective view of a mop wringer embodying features of my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged broken side View of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a View in perspective of a gear element in the nature of a rack employed to operate the pressing plates of the wringer, and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a gear sector having teeth which engage the teeth of the rack illustrated in Fig. 3 for producing the operation thereof.

In Fig. l, I have illustrated a mop wringer as embodying right and left hand side plates H and I2, and a receptacle portion l3 disposed therebetween having a plurality of apertures therein. Each of the side plates is provided with a pair of slots it through which the stub shafts I!) of the pressure plates It project to be engaged by slots I! provided in the arms l8 of racks IS. The racks are guided by stub shafts 2| which operate in slots 22 in each of the side plates.

A shaft 23 extends through both of the side plates having keyed, welded or otherwise secured at each end, a pair of gear sectors24. A handle 25 is secured to the shaft intermediate the side plates counterbalanced by a spring 26 having one end hooked in an eye 30 projecting from the shaft 23 and the other end secured to across rod 43. The spring returns the handle and therefore the pressure plates I6 from mop wringing position to the position illustrated. I

The slots M are curved outwardly at 2'! to cause the separation of the pressure plates [6 at the end of the upper movement of the racks IS. The racks I9 are backed by plate 28 which retains the rack teeth in. mesh with the teeth of the sector 24. The rack I9 is shown enlarged in Fig. 3 as embodying a pair of elements each having a row of teeth 28 and 29 which are disposed in overlapping relation, as clearly illustrated in the figure. The sector 24 in a similar manner is made of two parts which are shifted about the center of the aperture 3| which receives the shaft 23, to have the teeth 32 of one part disposed in overlapping relation to the teeth 33 of the other part. The teeth 32 and 33 of the sectors 24 mesh respectively, with the teeth 29 and 28 of the racks l9 and retain the rack in aligned relation with the sectors which are retained in position on the ends of the shaft 23. In this manner, the guides, which would otherwise be required for the racks H), are eliminated with a resulting reduction in friction. In this arrangement, some of the teeth are operating at all times substantially on their pitch lines providing .desirable operating conditions while retaining the teeth against misalignment and provides smooth action of the device.

The side plates I I and I2 are provided with projecting portions 35 which extend over the side of a pail and thereby support the entire mop wringing structure within the pail. Cover plates 36 are disposed over the side plates H and I2 to enclose the gear elements.

To wring a mop, it is only necessary to dispose the mop within the container portion l3 and through the movement of the handle 25 cause the pressure plates l6 to move in and downwardly to squeeze the cloth portion of the mop against the sides and bottom of the container portion l3 to free the water therefrom which runs out through the apertures thereof. Upon releasing the handle 25, the spring 26 retrieves the racks l9 and pressure plates IE to their original position.

While I have described and illustrated but a single embodiment of my invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes, omissions, additions, and, substitutions may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, as set forth in the accompanying claim.

I claim as my invention:

In a mop wringer, 'a pair of pressure plates, racks for operating said pressure plates having two rows of teeth shifted to have the teeth of one row overlapping the spaces between the teeth of the other row; and gear sectors having similar overlapping teeth engaging the teeth of said rack,

the overlapping teeth being the sole means for 20 

